SPIRO T. AGNEW, Governor                       663

corporation shall act, or claim to act as principal, agent, or broker,
or under, or without the authority of this Article; and for that
purpose he shall have free access to the books, papers, records, safes
and vaults of all such persons, co-partnerships and corporations; he
shall also have authority to examine, under oath, all persons whom-
soever, whose testimony he may require, relative to such loans or
business.

(b)  The Administrator of Loan Laws shall prepare and promulgate
rules and regulations pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act
of Maryland and shall conduct all proceedings in accordance with
such Act, except as otherwise provided in this article.

(c)  The Administrator of Loan Laws shall have, in addition to all
other powers conferred upon him by this article, the power to issue
orders directed to a licensee to cease and desist from a course of
conduct if he shall find, after notice and hearing, that the course of
conduct of the licensee results in an evasion or violation of any provi-
sion of this article, or of rules and regulations promulgated in pur-
suance thereof.

15.

No licensee [or other person or corporation] shall print, publish,
distribute, or broadcast over the radio or television, or cause to be
printed, published, distributed, or broadcast over the radio or televi-
sion, in any manner, whatsoever, any written or printed statement,
or any statement in a radio or television broadcast, with regard to
the rates, terms or conditions for the lending of money, credit, goods
or things in action [, in amounts of three hundred dollars ($300)
or less], which is false or calculated to deceive.

[Any person, and the several officers and employees of any cor-
poration, who shall violate this section shall be guilty of a misde-
meanor and upon conviction thereof shall be punishable by a fine of
not more than five hundred dollars ($500) or by imprisonment of not
more than six (6) months or by both such fine and imprisonment
in the discretion of the Court.] The Administrator of Loan Laws,

on written complaint received, or upon his own motion, may, upon

reasonable notice and an opportunity to be heard, issue cease and

desist orders prohibiting any further use of false or deceptive ad-

vertising.

16.

(a) Every person, copartnership, association or[and] corporation
licensed hereunder may loan any sum of money, goods or things in
action, not exceeding in amount of value the sum of [three hundred
dollars ($300.00)] one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) FIVE HUN-
DRED DOLLARS ($500.00) and may charge, contract for and re-
ceive thereon interest at a rate not to exceed three (3) per centum
per month [.] on that part of the unpaid principal balance not ex-
ceeding three hundred dollars ($300), AND two (2) per centum
per month on that part of the unpaid principal balance exceeding
three hundred dollars ($300) but not exceeding six hundred dollars

($600), and one (1) per cenutm per month on the remainder FIVE

HUNDRED DOLLARS ($500.00), provided, however, that the in-
terest rate on any balance remaining unpaid six (6) months after